How do you define success?

This picture is great!

We so often define a successful life by what we see, and in a lot of cases it’s not what we see at all.

Sometimes we only define success by our own standard, of what we think success is. It’s more than just our definition.

Sometimes we only define success by what we see in our world...money, fame, position, etc…

What about the person who has no ability to meet our standard?

What about the person who has no ability to meet the standard of our world?

Are they still a success? Do they even have a chance at being successful? Will they ever see success?

I think about my buddy Ray at my church. I wrote about Ray one time here in the past.

Ray is handicapped. He is dependent upon others for almost everything. He can barely move any muscle in his body. He can move his arms about 4-6 inches, from very bent to just slightly bent. He can’t move his hands to do anything, except to move the joystick on his wheelchair, so he can move. That’s the only independence that Ray has.

But Ray impacts me every time I see him. He brings a smile to my face, and I’m drawn to him like a magnet. He can only make it to church on Sunday mornings (it’s too challenging to come more often). When he’s not there, I miss him.

Ray can’t do a lot. He can’t really speak, other than a mumble. You can only make out a few words...you have to learn to speak “Ray.” He does, however, have some understanding, and he loves to smile and laugh out loud. His laugh is awesome.

Ray is a success. You just can’t see it like you see it in others...it’s hidden, but he’s a success.

I think about the child with autism that doesn’t fit in, just like all the others do. I work with a couple of kids that fit this mold and they are more of an influence on me than most all of the other children and teens that I work with. They influence me because they love me unconditionally. 

They love me, just because they love. 

They don’t fake people out.

They are real. 

They do not try to fit in. 

They don’t push to be accepted. 

They don’t care about being a success. 

They are a success!

You can name lots of people, in your life, that may not fit the normal mold of success, but don’t miss the ones that are truly successful and impacting. Don’t overlook those that you could influence, by taking that extra moment with them...you may be surprised how you define success after those experiences.

Lessons Learned: Success is not defined by what we see...sometimes, it’s a little deeper.

Thoughts: What underlying successes have you seen?

#failalot